a couple decent finds at the flea market

[fast14riot]

At least I think so. I am still somewhat of a newb when it comes to traditionals, I know what good brands are, and what I like, but names of patterns and what a good price is I am still learning.

This last Saturday, the wife wanted to go to the flea market just to kill some time. Great! Knife hunting, I thought. Well we loaded up the kid and drove over to the college campus where it is located. Now this isn't a very good place to find knives being a college campus they are not supposed to sell them, but many still do. Mostly I find Chinese and Mexican junk knives, but on this day I found these two nice little Imperials...

Both of these were had for $5.00 a piece.

This Barlow has saw cut plastic scales, ok snap in the main blade, almost none on the pen blade. Pen blade has some red surface rust, and very little on the main blade. I believe this one to be made in the '80s sometime, but thats just a guess.

This I think is called a sleeveboard pattern? I liked it for the pattern on the celluloid, a color I haven't seen before, although that isn't saying much. The Celluloid has shrank a small amount, pulling back from the (fake) bolsters which I see very often on older knives made this way.

I am guessing this one to be made sometime between the '50s & '60s. This is also just a guess as I don't know the stamps well yet. This one has half-stops, and again the main blade has some snap to it while the pen blade is rather stiff and doesn't close all the way on its own. It stays up maybe 1/8" but pushes down the rest of the way easy enough. It does have quite a bit of red rust in the liners, which I am sure is causing this.

The blades center nicely on the Barlow, and ok on the other one.

I am happy about the purchase I made for these two, and even if I over paid at $5.00 each, I don't care. I bought them because I liked them and I will use them.

Both are still in as found condition, I haven't even oiled them yet. I will start to clean them up tonight and put a proper edge on all four blades.

If anyone has any info about age, price, or the pattern of the second one, plase let me know. I like old knives, and when I find them for a resonable amount I try to buy them!


Cheers-
-Xander

P.S. - Sorry about the mediocre cell phone pics, I didn't grab my camera this morning.

 

[Rupestris]

Nice score. :thumbup: You only overpaid on one of them. I'd have paid $7 for the Barlow but only $3 for the other.

Keep us posted on how they work for you and welcome to the world of Traditionals.

 

[whetrock]

Not bad at all hunting for old knives at reasonable prices is an adictive hobby.

 

[fast14riot]

One thing I forgot to ad, after I paid for these two, the gentleman who had the booth called me back and pulled out of his pocket to show me a Schrade Walden with nice blue stag scales and looked like nickel silver bolsters. Boy I sure got excited! It looked like a nice old congress patern, but when he handed it to me first thing I noticed is the broken blade. I open the remaining blades and all but one pen blade had been sharpened to a toothpick! Two had the tips broken off as well. He told me $20 and I could have it. I respectfully declined. If this knife had all its blades and even a little life left I would have offered maybe $15, but I just couldn't do it in the condition it was in. All in the fun of knife hunting!


-Xander

 

[the rat]

Cool find, it's always fun knife hunting the flea markets and yard sales.

 

[rarreola]

i like the barlow